Favorite 'Dogs: Back Lions to Test 1st-Place Rams

The college football regular season has come and gone, and the 12-team Playoff field is written in stone. 

Some will say the Playoff committee actually got it right, while plenty of others will argue the committee was wrong in who it selected (or didn’t select). The previous sentence would have been true regardless of who was or wasn’t selected, by the way, as it will never be possible to have everyone agree on the 12 most deserving teams.

Soon, however, the debates will eventually quiet down, and the attention of football fans will return to the action on the field. Let’s look ahead to this weekend, and as always, try to find a few upsets.

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Army vs. Navy 

An annual December tradition — no, not waiting in long lines or last-minute holiday shopping — Army vs. Navy do battle for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. 

Navy is coming off of an impressive upset win over Memphis on Thanksgiving night, and has an outstanding quarterback in Blake Horvath. I’ll take Army, however, plus the points, and I give it a good shot at an outright upset. Eight of the last 11 meetings between these two teams have been decided by one score, and the total here is only 39.5, meaning it’s likely going to be a close game without many points. 

If that’s the case again on Saturday, Army will have a chance. Navy has the more prolific offense, but these teams both play similar styles and are used to practicing against the option, a familiarity that can neutralize a lethal Navy rushing attack. 

Look for Army to hang around, and perhaps pull off the upset. 

PICK: Army (+6) to lose by fewer than 6 points or win outright

Lions @ Rams

There is never a shortage of storylines when these two NFC heavyweights square off.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff faces his former team, as does L.A. quarterback and MVP-favorite Matthew Stafford. The Rams look like the best team in the NFL, but they are certainly not unbeatable. Just recently, they gave up 31 points in a loss to the Panthers. They also allowed 33 (yes, six were on a blocked kick return) to the Eagles, who have struggled all year on offense. 

The Rams now face the Lions, who lead the NFL in yards per play and points, averaging over 30 per game. The Rams are the rightful favorite to win it all come February, but a skeptic can make the case they’ve feasted on a soft schedule that includes the Saints, Titans and the Ravens without Lamar Jackson, and haven’t been tested by elite offenses. That will change Sunday against the high-powered Lions, who will come in off extra rest, having not played since Thursday. 

I expect Lions’ coach Dan Campbell and his team to embrace the underdog role, be ultra-aggressive on fourth down, and go toe-to-toe with the first-place Rams. 

PICK: Lions (+6) to lose by fewer than 6 points or win outright

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bear Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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